In the winter of 1932, the life of 17-year-old Benjamin Collings came to a tragic and mysterious end in New York City. On December 15th of that year, the young male was killed, his death becoming a footnote in the grim catalog of one of America's most notorious serial killers.
Details surrounding the specific circumstances of Benjamin's death are scarce in historical records. His name is listed among the possible victims of the infamous murderer and cannibal, Albert Fish.
Fish, who was also known by chilling monikers such as the "Gray Man" and the "Werewolf of Wysteria," was a suspected serial killer, child molester, and cannibal. While he confessed to several murders, his true number of victims is believed to be much higher, with some estimates reaching around 100.
Investigators in Long Island considered Fish a suspect in the death of Benjamin Collings. However, Fish himself denied any involvement in this particular case, though he was known to be untruthful about the extent of his horrific crimes. No arrests were ever made specifically in connection with Benjamin's death, and the case, like many others potentially linked to Fish, remains shrouded in uncertainty. The lack of a detailed investigation or any identified suspects leaves the narrative of his final moments untold.
Adding to the obscurity of his case is the frequent confusion with another, more well-documented murder that occurred a year earlier. In September 1931, a 38-year-old inventor named Benjamin P. Collings was murdered aboard his yacht, the "Penguin," in Long Island Sound. This sensational case, which involved his wife as a witness and theories of piracy, generated significant media attention and a police investigation, though it too was never officially solved. The similarity in names has often led to the two cases being conflated, further obscuring the little that is known about the violent end of the young 17-year-old Benjamin Collings.
